In recent years, modern dictation recording and transcribing systems have been developed which include many features to aid in the efficient transcription of recorded dictation. As will be appreciated by those familiar with the use of dictation recording apparatus, the thought process of the dictator does not necessarily occur in the sequence in which it is ultimately desired to present dictated material to the transcriber.
For example, partially through a piece of dictation, it often occurs to the dictator to add instructions to the transcribing person. Systems for indicating the presence of instructions and visually displaying their relative location within a piece of dictation are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,051,540 and 4,200,893.
Furthermore, it has been known to provide a separate track in a multitrack tape format for the recording of instructions so that they may be recorded at an appropriate location relative to the main dictation. Such a system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,121. As will be further appreciated by those familiar with dictation systems, the dictator will often think of additional material which should be inserted at a location within previously-recorded dictation. It is known to provide a separate track parallel to the track containing the main recorded dictation upon which such inserts may be recorded. However, in the transcription of the dictation including such an insert recorded on a separate track, the transcriber must first listen to the insert, and then rewind the recording medium back to the point in the original dictation at which the insert began.
Yet another situation often encountered by users of dictation systems is the desire to delete portions of previously-recorded dictation from the final transcribed product.
In prior art systems, it is normally necessary to include an instruction to the transcribing person indicating the portion to be deleted, or to simply erase the portion to be deleted, thus leaving a length of blank tape within the recorded dictation and frequently erasing material which was adjacent the ends of the portion to be deleted.
Some of the limitations of conventional dictation recording and transcribing systems have been overcome in a system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,249 to Goldsberry. The system of the Goldsberry patent includes all the limitations above noted for conventional dictation recording systems, but provides an interactive scheme between a medium storing transcribed dictation and a CRT display used by the dictator to allow for increased speed of the editing process. The system of Goldsberry removes from the transcriber the burden of ascertaining at what point in transcribed dictation deletions and insertions are to be made and places this process under machine control at the direction of the dictator who uses a cursor to locate insertions or deletions in already transcribed dictation. Thus, in order for an insertion to be made into previously recorded dictation when using the system of Goldsberry, it is necessary (just as in conventional systems) for the original dictation to have been transcribed before the insertion can be made.
It will further be appreciated by users of dictation equipment that while prior art systems indicating the locations of recorded instruction have increased the convenience and efficiency of transcribing dictation, it has still been necessary for the transcriber to wind through a conventional recording medium in order to listen to the instructions prior to beginning transcription.
It will further be appreciated that, as a general rule, the last instruction recorded during the dictation process is often the most important and may be used to override previously-recorded instructions if the dictator has changed his or her mind.
Thus, while prior dictation recording and transcribing systems have made improvements in the convenience of providing instructions, insertions, and deleting material; the prior art has heretofore not provided apparatus which allows the dictator to insert material of any desired length in previously-recorded dictation and still have a continuous playback to the transcriber of a first portion of recorded dictation, inserted material, and a second portion of dictation without any rewinding of a record medium or additional steps to be taken by the transcriber. Similarly, it has not been known how to delete portions of dictation from previously-recorded dictation without leaving a segment of silent tape which leaves the transcriber idle during the transcription process or by recording an instruction indicating that certain portions of the dictation should be skipped.